I love New Years and the stimulating feel it creates. You can feel a sense of excitement as a new canvas of life is here to be painted on for the year. There is a certain energy all around. I love how motivated people seem, to make positive changes for the year to come. Last night I spent many hours reorganizing my office, and easily ridding of old things no longer needed to make room for new experiences. 

Here is my December 2013 InstaUpdate, which contains highlights from December posted on my Instagram. I didn’t make an InstaUpdate for November or October of 2013…but I guess that’ll be my New Years resolution! To be a better and more consistent blogger. :) I pretty much took the month of December off to focus on my family and friends (and myself) after a busy year FULL of weddings and sessions. I was still working on some leftover editing though.

December began with a terrible ice storm that we Texans just can’t handle. We were cooped in for the entire week. Lots of businesses were closed. We just don’t know how to dress, prepare or drive in this stuff. We were however capable of “walking” to the nearby bar, but that didn’t mean we weren’t slipping and falling on the way there.

The second week in December, the lovely ladies in my family and I did our yearly tradition of visiting the Christmasy town of Salado, TX for some good ol’ southern Christmas shopping and eatin’ (which being a vegetarian in a town full of BBQ joints is a bit tough…just beans and coleslaw for me.) We got to tour this STUNNING home decorated to the brim in Christmas decor! I’ll post the really nice pictures of that soon.

The Philanie (Philip + Stephanie) household got some Christmas pizazz.

The third week of December I got to attend a small photographer’s retreat in the amazing city of Austin, TX! A group of talented female photographers and I all got together for a bonding experience and photographic journey. It was fun just photographing for ourselves. We rented a cute house near downtown, ate at some delicious places and simply enjoyed ourselves. I can’t wait to share those images as well!

 
#AUSTIBOND
 
I received my custom USB drives!!! WOOT!

Zac and I had an amazing time at our last wedding of 2013! We just had to get a photo booth strip before we left. :) We are looking forward to all the weddings and love stories we have booked for 2014!!!

I of course spent precious amount of time visiting my family and friends (not pictured) that I will just treasure. I got some much needed relaxin’, karaoke singing, sinful food eatin’ and sleeping-in done. Made me miss the days when I was a kid and my only job was to have fun (not that what I currently do isn’t fun…but you know…work is work and there is an unglamorous side to being a photographer). I just wish that extended family got together more often than just for the holidays.

Here’s to a shiny new year full of people to photograph and stories to be told. I’m soooo excited to see what is in store! Now, I gotta go eat some black eyed peas, collard greens and corn bread for good luck! 

Cheers!